Extreme weighted hybrid and other wood-type golf clubs and golf club heads

ABSTRACT

Wood-type golf club heads include: (a) a club head body member defining an interior chamber; (b) a weight system engaged with a rear perimeter portion of the club head body member; and (c) a connection system connecting the weight system with the club head body (e.g., with the rear of the ball striking face portion). The club heads further may include one or more damping members in the interior chamber to alter the sound and/or otherwise attenuate a vibrational response of the club head. The damping members may extend between the ball striking face and the weight system, and optionally may engage the connection system. The damping member(s) may constitute a foam material compressed within the interior chamber of the club head. Methods of making such golf club head structures also are described.

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/442,207 filed on Apr. 9, 2012 which is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/841,478 filed on Jul. 22, 2010 whichissued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,167,739 on May 1, 2012 which is a continuationof U.S. patent Application Ser. No. 12/031,322 filed on Feb. 14, 2008which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,785,212 on Aug. 31, 2010. Theseapplications are entirely incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to golf clubs and golf club heads,including “wood-type” golf clubs and golf club heads, e.g., for drivers,fairway woods, “wood-type” hybrid or utility clubs, or the like.Additional aspects of this invention relate to methods for making suchgolf club heads that include extreme rearward and/or low weightingcharacteristics.

BACKGROUND

Golf is enjoyed by a wide variety of players—players of differentgenders and dramatically different ages and/or skill levels. Golf issomewhat unique in the sporting world in that such diverse collectionsof players can play together in golf events, even in direct competitionwith one another (e.g., using handicapped scoring, different tee boxes,in team formats, etc.), and still enjoy the golf outing or competition.These factors, together with the increased availability of golfprogramming on television (e.g., golf tournaments, golf news, golfhistory, and/or other golf programming) and the rise of well known golfsuperstars, at least in part, have increased golf's popularity in recentyears, both in the United States and across the world.

Golfers at all skill levels seek to improve their performance, lowertheir golf scores, and reach that next performance “level.”Manufacturers of all types of golf equipment have responded to thesedemands, and in recent years, the industry has witnessed dramaticchanges and improvements in golf equipment. For example, a wide range ofdifferent golf ball models now are available, with balls designed tocomplement specific swing speeds and/or other player characteristics orpreferences, e.g., with some balls designed to fly farther and/orstraighter; some designed to provide higher or flatter trajectories;some designed to provide more spin, control, and/or feel (particularlyaround the greens); some designed for faster or slower swing speeds;etc. A host of swing and/or teaching aids also are available on themarket that promise to help lower one's golf scores.

Being the sole instrument that sets a golf ball in motion during play,golf clubs also have been the subject of much technological research andadvancement in recent years. For example, the market has seen dramaticchanges and improvements in putter designs, golf club head designs,shafts, and grips in recent years. Additionally, other technologicaladvancements have been made in an effort to better match the variouselements and/or characteristics of the golf club and characteristics ofa golf ball to a particular user's swing features or characteristics(e.g., club fitting technology, ball launch angle measurementtechnology, ball spin rates, etc.).

Despite recent technological advances, “wood-type” golf clubs,particularly the driver and long irons (e.g., 1-4 irons), can be verydifficult for some players to hit consistently well. Accordingly,additional technological advances that improve a player's ability to geta golf ball airborne; increase distance, direction, and/or control;and/or otherwise improve the playability of wood-type golf clubs,particularly the driver, would be welcome in the golf world.

SUMMARY

The following presents a general summary of aspects of the invention inorder to provide a basic understanding of the invention and variousaspects of it. This summary is not overview and context for the moredetailed description that follows.

In general, some example aspects of this invention relate to wood-typegolf clubs and/or golf club heads (such as drivers, fairway woods,“wood-type” utility or hybrid clubs, and the like). Golf club heads andgolf clubs in accordance with at least some examples of this inventioninclude club head structures having: (a) a club head body memberdefining an interior chamber, the club head body member including a ballstriking face portion, a crown portion, and a sole portion; (b) a weightsystem engaged with the club head body member and provided at aperimeter portion of the club head body member at a location rearward ofthe ball striking face portion; and (c) a connection system extendingfrom or through the weight system in a direction toward and at leastpartially through the interior chamber and toward the ball striking faceportion of the club head body member. In some examples, the connectionsystem will extend from or through the weight system and engage theweight system with a rear surface of the ball striking face portion ofthe club head body member.

At least some example club head structures in accordance with thisinvention will include one or more damping members at least partiallylocated within the interior chamber defined by the club head bodymember. The damping member(s) (which may alter the sound and/orotherwise attenuate a vibrational response of the club head when a golfball is struck) may extend between the ball striking face portion andthe weight system. In at least some examples according to thisinvention, the damping member(s), may constitute a foam material that iscompressed within the interior chamber of the club head body member(e.g., between the weighting system and the rear surface of the ballstriking face portion). If desired, the weight system may directlyengage the damping member, e.g., it may be at least partially embeddedin the damping member, it may fit into a slot, groove, or chamber formedin the damping member, it may extend at least partially around aperiphery of the damping member (e.g., along the sides and/or rearperiphery, etc.), etc. The weight system also may be located inside oroutside the interior chamber defined by the club head body.

Methods of making golf club head structures in accordance with at leastsome examples of this invention may include, for example: (a) providinga wood-type golf club head body member including a ball striking faceportion, a crown portion, and a sole portion, wherein the club head bodymember, at least in part, defines an interior chamber; and (b) engaginga weight system with a perimeter portion of the club head body member ata location rearward of the ball striking face portion, wherein theweight system is engaged with the club head body member via a connectionsystem that extends from or through the weight system in a directiontoward and at least partially through the interior chamber and towardthe ball striking face portion. If desired, in accordance with at leastsome example structures according to this invention, a damping membermay be provided within the interior chamber defined by the club headbody member.

Such club head structures may be incorporated into an overall golf clubstructure and/or used as a golf club in any desired manner, including inconventional manners that are known and used in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the present invention and certainadvantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the followingdetailed description in consideration with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate an example golf club head structure accordingto the invention;

FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate various steps and parts used in a method ofmaking a golf club head in accordance with this invention;

FIGS. 3 through 9 illustrate several variations on components andstructures that may be provided in golf club head structures inaccordance with this invention.

The reader is advised that the attached drawings are not necessarilydrawn to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description of various example structures in accordancewith the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings,which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustrationvarious example golf club heads and golf club structures in accordancewith the invention. Additionally, it is to be understood that otherspecific arrangements of parts and structures may be utilized, andstructural and functional modifications may be made without departingfrom the scope of the present invention. Also, while the terms “top,”“bottom,” “front,” “back,” “rear,” “side,” ^(“)underside,” “overhead,”and the like may be used in this specification to describe variousexample features and elements of the invention, these terms are usedherein as a matter of convenience, e.g., based on the exampleorientations shown in the figures and/or the orientations in typicaluse. Nothing in this specification should be construed as requiring aspecific three dimensional or spatial orientation of structures in orderto fall within the scope of this invention.

A. General Description of Golf Club Heads and Golf Clubs According toExamples of the Invention

In general, as described above, aspects of this invention relate towood-type golf club heads, golf clubs, and the like (such as drivers orfairway woods, “wood-type” utility or hybrid clubs, and/or the like), aswell as to methods of making and using such clubs and club heads.Wood-type golf club heads in accordance with at least some examples ofthis invention include: (a) a club head body member defining an interiorchamber, the club head body member including a ball striking faceportion, a crown portion, and a sole portion; (b) a weight systemengaged with the club head body member and provided at a perimeterportion of the club head body member at a location rearward of the ballstriking face portion; and (c) a connection system extending from orthrough the weight system in a direction toward and at least partiallythrough the interior chamber and toward the ball striking face portionof the club head body member. The weight system may comprise one or moreseparate weight members that are engaged with the rear perimeter of theclub head body member, optionally with the exterior of the club headbody member. In some examples, the connection system will extend from orthrough the weight system and engage the weight system with a rearsurface of the ball striking face portion of the club head body member.

At least some example club head structures in accordance with thisinvention will include one or more damping members at least partiallylocated within the interior chamber defined by the club head bodymember. The damping member(s) (which may alter the sound and/orotherwise attenuate a vibrational response of the club head when a golfball is struck) may extend at least partially between the ball strikingface portion and the weight system. In at least some examples accordingto this invention, the damping member(s) may constitute a foam or othermaterial that is compressed within the interior chamber of the club headbody member (e.g., between the weighting system and the rear surface ofthe ball striking face portion). The damping member(s) also may beengaged with at least some portion of the connection system (e.g., oneor more bolts or other mechanical fastener elements forming at leastpart of the securing system may extend through an opening provided inthe damping member(s)).

The club head body member may take on a variety of different forms,shapes, and/or sizes without departing from this invention. For example,the club head may be made of a one piece construction or from amulti-piece construction. Multi-piece constructions also may take on avariety of different forms without departing from this invention,including, for example, multi-piece constructions that include one ormore of the following: a ball striking face member (optionally with aball striking plate integrally formed with a face element (such as a cupface member)); a crown member (e.g., made from a lightweight material,such as carbon fiber or other composite materials, basalt fiberreinforced materials, etc.); a sole member; a sole plate (e.g., madefrom a durable and/or a relatively dense material (as compared to thecrown member), such as a metal material like titanium, steel, aluminum,or other metals or alloys); an aft body member (e.g., including at leastsome portions of a crown portion, a ribbon portion or other bodyportion, and/or a sole portion); a ribbon member; etc.

Golf club heads in accordance with examples of this invention mayinclude still additional features, if desired, including features thatare known and used in the art. For example, the weighting system may bepermanently mounted to the club head body member, e.g., on an interioror exterior of the club head body, extending from the exterior to theinterior of the club head body (e.g., through a weight port), etc. Asyet additional examples, if desired, the weighting system may includeweight member(s) that are movably and/or removably mounted with respectto the club head body member, e.g., using structures and techniques thatare known and used in the art (e.g., by screw or other mechanicalconnector attachments, by sliding attachments, etc.). Advantageously, inaccordance with at least some examples of this invention, the weightingsystem will include weight members located at or proximate to a rear ofthe club head body member, optionally with weighting features providedtoward the rear toe, the rear heel, and/or the rear sole portions of theclub head. If desired, at least some portions of the weighting systemmay be selectively movable and/or removable from the club head bodymember and/or mountable in a variety of different positions and/orarrangements, e.g., to allow customization, interchange, replacement,and/or club-fitting (e.g., to provide a draw biased club, to provide afade biased club, to provide a high trajectory biased club, to provide alow trajectory biased club, to provide a club to help compensate forundesired ball flights or swing flaws (e.g., to help correct hooks,slices, etc., to help get balls airborne, to help prevent ballooningball flights, etc.), to provide a club having a high moment of inertia(e.g., high Izz), etc.).

The club head body member may be made from a wide variety of materialsand parts without departing from this invention, including inconventional ways, from conventional materials and parts, as are knownand used in the art. In some more specific examples, the club head basemember may be made from one or more of: metal materials (e.g., metalalloys, such as alloys containing steel, titanium, magnesium, aluminum,beryllium, etc.); composite materials (e.g., carbon fiber composites,basalt fiber composites, etc., for a crown portion, a skirt portion, asole portion, an aft body portion, a ball striking face portion, etc.);polymeric materials; etc.

Additional aspects of this invention relate to golf club structures thatinclude golf club heads, e.g., of the types described above (such aswood-type golf clubs including drivers, fairway woods, wood-type hybridor utility clubs, etc.). In addition to club head structures of thetypes described above, golf clubs according to at least some examples ofthis invention may include one or more of: (a) a shaft member engagedwith the club head body (e.g., with the ball striking face member, theclub head body member, or both); (b) a grip member engaged with theshaft, and/or (c) a handle member engaged with the club head and/or theshaft. These additional elements of the golf club structure may beincluded in the overall club structure in any desired manner withoutdeparting from this invention, including in conventional manners thatare known and used in the art (e.g., the shaft may be engaged via anexternal hosel member, via an internal hosel member, through an openingprovided in the club head, via adhesives, via mechanical connectors(e.g., threads, retaining elements, etc.), etc.). Additionally, theseadditional elements of the golf club structure may be made fromconventional materials, in conventional constructions, e.g., as areknown and used in the art. If desired, any desired part(s) of the clubhead body may be formed to include a hosel element, or if desired, ahosel element of some type may be engaged with one or more of the ballstriking face member and/or the body member (e.g., interior, exterior,or both, with respect to the overall club head structure).

B. General Description of Example Methods of Making and/or Using GolfClub Heads and Golf Clubs According to the Invention

Additional aspects of this invention relate to methods of making golfclub heads and/or golf club structures in accordance with this invention(e.g., of the various types described above). Such methods may include,for example: (a) providing a wood-type golf club head body member (e.g.,by manufacturing it, by assembling it, by obtaining it from a thirdparty source, etc.) including a ball striking face portion, a crownportion, and a sole portion, wherein the club head body member, at leastin part, defines an interior chamber; and (b) engaging a weight systemwith a perimeter portion of the club head body member at a locationrearward of the ball striking face portion, wherein the weight system isengaged with the club head body member via a connection system thatextends from or through the weight system in a direction toward and atleast partially through the interior chamber and toward the ballstriking face portion. If desired, in accordance with at least someexample structures according to this invention, a damping member may beprovided within the interior chamber defined by the club head bodymember. In at least some examples of this invention, the connectionsystem will extend from or through the weight system (and optionallythrough the damping member) and engage (e.g., fasten to) a rear side ofthe ball striking face portion.

The various parts of the club head structure may have any one and/orcombination of the various more specific parts, structural features,and/or structural arrangements described above.

Golf clubs according to at least some examples of this invention may beproduced by engaging a shaft member and/or handle member with the clubhead body (e.g., of the types described above). This may be accomplishedin any desired manner, including in conventional manners that are wellknown and used in the art (e.g., via cements or adhesives, viamechanical connectors, etc.). Additionally, if desired, a grip elementmay be engaged with the shaft or handle member, e.g., in any desiredmanner, including in manners that are well known and used in the art(e.g., via cements or adhesives, via mechanical connectors, etc.). Golfclub heads and golf clubs in accordance with this invention may be usedin conventional ways as also are known in the art. Additionally, ifdesired, the shaft member may be connected to the head and/or to thegrip member in releasable manners, as are known and used in the art.

Specific examples of the invention are described in more detail below.The reader should understand that these specific examples are set forthmerely to illustrate examples of the invention, and they should not beconstrued as limiting the invention.

C. Specific Examples of the Invention

FIGS. 1A and 1B generally illustrate an example golf club 100 and golfclub head 102 in accordance with this invention. Example golf club andgolf club head structures in accordance with this invention mayconstitute “wood-type” golf clubs and golf club heads, e.g., club headstypically used for drivers and fairway woods, as well as for “wood-type”utility or hybrid clubs, or the like. Aspects of this invention,however, also may be used in producing putters, chipping clubs, and/orother golf club heads and/or golf club structures. More specificexamples and features of golf club heads and golf club structuresaccording to examples of this invention will be described in detailbelow in conjunction with the example golf club head structuresillustrated in FIGS. 1A through 9.

FIGS. 1A and 1B generally illustrate a wood-type golf club 100 inaccordance with one example of this invention. The golf club 100includes a golf club head 102 having a multi-part construction (examplesof which will be described in more detail below) and a hosel area 104 atwhich the head 102 is connected to a shaft 106. The hosel area 104 maybe of any desired design and construction without departing from thisinvention (e.g., an exteriorly extending hosel member 104, as shown; aninternal hosel member; etc.), including conventional designs andconstructions as are known and used in the art. Likewise, the shaft 106may be made of any desired materials and connected to the hosel area 104(or directly to the club head 102) in any desired manner, includingconventional materials, connected in conventional manners, as are knownand used in the art. As some more specific examples, if desired, theshaft 106 may be made from steel, aluminum, or other metal or metalalloy materials; graphite based materials; composite materials;polymeric materials; etc. The shaft 106 may be connected to the hoselarea 104 and/or directly to the club head 102 via cements or adhesives,via mechanical connection systems, and the like. If desired, the shaft106 may be connected to the hosel area 104 or to the club head 102 by areleasable mechanical or adhesive connection that easily allows the clubhead 102 and shaft 106 to be separated from one another (and optionallythereafter engaged with a different head or shaft).

A grip member 108 or other handle element may be provided on and/orintegrally formed with the shaft 106. Any desired materials may be usedfor the grip member 108, such as rubber based materials (synthetic ornatural); polymer based materials (including cord or other fabric ortextile containing polymers); leather; cork; etc. The grip member 108 orother handle element may be engaged with or formed as part of the shaft106 in any desired manner without departing from this invention,including through the use of adhesives or cements, mechanical connectors(e.g., threaded connections, releasable mechanical connections, etc.),or the like. In at least some example structures according to thisinvention, the grip member 108 will be made of conventional materials asare known and used in the art, and it will be attached to the shaftmember 106 in conventional manners as are known and used in the art.

The club head 102 may be made from any desired materials, numbers ofparts, and/or constructions without departing from this invention. Inthis illustrated example, the club head 102 includes a ball strikingface member 110 engaged with a club head body member 112. A weightsystem 114 is engaged with the club head body member 112. In thisillustrated example, the weight system 114 comprises a single weightmember that extends along a portion of the rear periphery of the clubhead body member 112. The weight system 114 may take on a variety ofdifferent forms, as will be described in more detail below inconjunction with other illustrated example structures according to thisinvention.

The ball striking face member 110 of this example structure is amulti-piece construction. While it may take on a variety of differentforms, sizes, shapes, and/or materials, in this illustrated example, theball striking face member 110 includes a ball striking face portion 110a engaged with a cup face element 110 b (e.g., by welding or otherfusing technique) that includes a face perimeter portion 110 c and areturn portion 110 d. The ball striking face member 110 may be made fromconventional materials as are known and used in the art, such as steel,titanium alloys, and the like. As shown in FIG. 1A, the ball strikingface member 110 may form at least a portion of the hosel member 104 (ifany), or the hosel member 104 may be made in other manners, including inconventional manners as are known and used in the art.

FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate one example of a process for manufacturing orassembling a golf club head in accordance with this invention. As shownin FIG. 2A, this example procedure begins with a cup type club head facemember 200 that includes a ball striking face portion 202, a faceperimeter portion 204, and a return portion 206 that, in this examplestructure, extends rearward from the face perimeter portion 204 aroundthe entire periphery of the face perimeter portion 204. Any desired facemember structures or constructions may be used without departing fromthis invention. For example, the return portion 206 may be divided intoindividual or discrete segments; the return portion 206 may be providedaround only a portion of perimeter portion 204; the return portion 206may have different lengths in a direction rearward from the perimeterportion 204 (e.g., the return portion along the sole portion of the clubhead may be longer or shorter than the return portion along the crownportion of the club head, etc.); the return portion 204 may be omitted(and the club head body portions (as will be described in more detailbelow) may directly engaged the face perimeter portion or may beintegrally formed with the face member; etc. Also, in this illustratedexample face member structure 200, a hosel member 208 (for receivingshaft) 210 extends from the face member 200 (although other hoselconstructions are possible without departing from this invention,including hosel-less and/or internal hosel structures).

The club head structure further includes a weight system provided alongat least a portion of its rear periphery. In this illustrated examplestructure, the weight system includes a single weight element 220 thatextends along and forms an exterior most surface of the club headstructure. The weight element 220 may be made, in whole or in part, fromany desired material, such as heavy metal or metal alloy materials(e.g., lead or tungsten, alloys of lead or tungsten, steel or otheralloys with lead or tungsten contained therein and/or with lead ortungsten containing inserts, etc.), weight containing polymericmaterials (e.g., lead or tungsten doped or containing plastics), etc.The weight element 220 also may include a conventional club head bodymember (e.g., made from conventional materials) with separate weightelements engaged therewith. In addition to extending along the rearperiphery, this illustrated example weight element 220 also extendsalong the exterior toe and heel sides of the club head structure. Ifdesired, rather than leaving a gap between its ends and the face member200, the ends of the weight element 220 may extend up to and optionallyengage the toe and heel edges of the face member 200 (e.g., engage thereturn portion 206, if any). While shown exterior in this examplestructure, if desired, in some example structures according to thisinvention, the weight system 220 may be located within an interiorchamber defined by the overall club head body.

Weight systems in accordance with the invention may have otherarrangements without departing from this invention. For example, ifdesired, the weight system may directly engage the damping member suchthat the weight system may be at least partially embedded in orcontained by the damping member, such that the weight system may fitinto a slot, groove, or chamber formed in the damping member, such thatthe weight system may extend at least partially around a periphery ofthe damping member (e.g., along the sides and/or rear periphery, etc.),etc. The weight system also may be located inside or outside theinterior chamber defined by the club head body without departing fromthis invention.

FIG. 2A illustrates additional structures that may be included in golfclub heads according to examples of this invention. For example, asshown in this figure, the rear surface of the club head face member 200(and particularly, the rear surface of the ball striking face 202 inthis example) is equipped with support structures 212 a and 212 b. Thesesupport structures 212 a and 212 b support the weight element 220 via aconnection system. In this illustrated example, the connection systemconstitutes connection elements 222 a and 222 b that extend through theweight element 220 and toward the rear surface of the ball striking face202. Connection elements 222 a and 222 b engage support structures 212 aand 212 b, respectively, to support the weight element 220 and engage itwith the face member 200, as shown in FIG. 2B.

Any desired types of connection between the connection elements 222 aand 222 b with the support structures 212 a and 212 b, respectively, arepossible without departing from this invention. For example, supportstructures 212 a and 212 b may include threads or other mechanicalfastener element structures that engage with corresponding threads orother structures on connection elements 222 a and 222 b, respectively(the weight element 220 may include openings through which screws orbolts corresponding to connection elements 222 a and 222 b extend). Asadditional examples, if desired, the connection elements and supportstructures may be engaged via adhesives, cements, welding, soldering,brazing, or other fusing techniques.

While a variety of connection locations and arrangements are possiblewithout departing from this invention, a direct connection between theweight element 220 and the ball striking face 202 is advantageousbecause this allows direct transfer of energy and momentum from themovement of the weight element 220 to the ball striking face 202.Moreover, the connection elements 222 a and 222 b support the ballstriking face 202 and prevent excessive “trampoline” effect (and mayallow for control of the club head's coefficient of restitution, ifdesired). The weight element 220 and the connection system may beconstructed to be angled somewhat with respect to the horizontaldirection (when the club head is in an address position) so that theweight element is positioned low and the overall center of gravity ofthe club head is located as far downward and rearward as possible (whichfeatures typically assist golfers in getting the ball airborne).Alternatively, if desired, the connection elements 222 a and 222 b mayextend in a generally horizontal direction when the club head is at itsball address position.

The weight element 220 and the face member 200 of this illustratedexample further include ledge elements 220 a and 200 a, respectively.The ledge elements 200 a and 220 a may be lowered somewhat with respectto the remainder of the member. In this illustrated example structure,ledge elements 200 a and 220 a provide a support area for receiving acrown member 230, as shown in FIG. 2B. While shown doing so, the ledgeelements 200 a and/or 220 a need not completely extend along the entireperiphery of the overall face member 200 and weight element 220. Ifdesired, similar ledge structures may be provided for supporting thesole member. Any desired finishing procedures may be used to make thejoint between the weight member 220, the crown portion 230, and the facemember 200 smooth, including conventional securing and/or finishingtechniques as are known and used in the art.

The crown member 230 may be made from any desired material withoutdeparting from this invention. Advantageously, in accordance with atleast some examples of this invention, the crown member 230 will beconstructed from a lightweight material, such as a lightweight metalmaterial (e.g., aluminum, titanium, magnesium, or beryllium, and/oralloys including these metals), lightweight polymeric materials, carbonfiber composite materials, and/or other materials, including materialsthat are conventionally known and used in the art. The crown portion 230may be fixed to the face member 200 and/or the weight element 220 in anydesired manner without departing from this invention, including throughthe use of mechanical fasteners or connectors, adhesives, cements,welding, brazing, soldering, or other fusing techniques, etc.

Although not shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, a sole plate member similar tocrown portion 230 may be provided at the bottom surface of the overallclub head structure. The sole plate member may be made from a heavier,denser material, such as a metal alloy material (e.g., steel, stainlesssteel, titanium alloys, etc.). This feature further helps maintain thecenter of gravity of the club head low. As another alternative, ifdesired, the crown portion 230 and the sole portion may be formed as asingle part (and optionally may be attached to the face member 200before the weight element 220 is attached), from the same material. Insuch structures, if desired, an additional sole plate (optionally of adenser metal alloy material) may be attached to the one piece crownportion/sole portion body member, e.g., to provide a lower center ofgravity to the overall club head structure. The final assembled clubhead structure may appear like those illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B.

The weight element 220 need not be balanced and/or consistently sizedand shaped throughout its peripheral length. Rather, if desired, theweight element 220 may be sized, shaped, and/or otherwise weighted so asto provide more weight toward the heel end or the toe end and/or towardthe crown and/or sole portions of the overall club head structure. Thesefeatures may be used to selectively place the weight at strategiclocations in the club head structure, e.g., to affect ball flight orspin characteristics, to bias the club for specific types of ballflights (e.g., high flight bias, low flight bias, hook bias, draw bias,etc.), to control moment of inertia and/or center of gravitycharacteristics, and/or to help compensate for user's swing faults. Assome more specific examples, selectively providing or concentratingweight in weight element 220 low (toward the sole) in a club headstructure generally will help propel the ball on a higher trajectory andgenerally will help players get a ball airborne; selectively providingor concentrating weight in weight element 220 higher in a club headstructure (e.g., more toward the crown) generally will help propel theball lower, with a more boring flight path (which can help golf shotsbetter cut through the wind); selectively providing or concentratingweight in weight element 220 outward in each direction away from theclub head's front toward the rear will generally help increase themoment of inertia of the club head about the vertical axis at the clubhead's center of gravity (e.g., Izz) (which feature can help user'sbetter propel the ball straight (e.g., this feature reduces club headtwisting during off center (heel or toe) hits)); selectively providingor concentrating weight in weight element 220 toward the club head heelas opposed to its toe will help bias the club to propel the ball withmore of a “draw” flight path (i.e., right-to-left for right handedplayers) and can help chronic slicers compensate for swing flaws (andthereby have a better chance of avoiding a slice); and selectivelyproviding or concentrating weight in weight element 220 toward the clubhead toe as opposed to its heel will help bias the club to propel theball with more of a “fade” flight path (i.e., left-to-right for righthanded players) and can help chronic hookers compensate for swing flaws(and thereby have a better chance of avoiding a hook). Multiple weightelements 220 of the same size and shape (and/or portions of the overallweight element 220) may be made available (e.g., to users, club fitters,etc.) to allow users to quickly and easily customize and bias the clubfor specific ball flight characteristics (e.g., by removing connectionelements 222 a and 222 b and exchanging one weight element 220 (or aportion thereof) for another with different characteristics).

FIG. 3 illustrates additional features that may be available in golfclub head structures in accordance with this invention. The assembly 300of FIG. 3 is similar to that described above in conjunction with FIGS.2A and 2B, except the club head assembly 300 of this example furtherincludes a damping system 302 located within an interior chamberdefined, at least in part, by the face member 200, the weight element220, and/or the other parts of the club head body (not shown in FIG. 3).The damping system 302 can help attenuate the overall vibrationalresponse of the club head experienced by a user when the club head isused to strike a golf ball. Moreover, the damping system can alter thesound that emanates from the club head during a ball strike. Theassembly 300 of FIG. 3 may include various other club head bodyelements, such as one or more of a crown portion, a sole portion, an aftbody element, or the like, without departing from this invention.

The damping system 302 may have a wide variety of characteristicswithout departing from this invention. In this illustrated examplestructure, the damping system 302 includes two separate damping elements302 a and 302 b that fit around the support structures 212 a and 212 band/or the connection elements 222 a and 222 b (support structures 212 aand 212 b and connection elements 222 a and 222 b fit through openings304 provided in the damping elements 302 a and 302 b, in this example).Alternatively, if desired, damping system 302 may be flexible enough soas to simply fit or wrap around the support structures 212 a and 212 band/or the connection elements 222 a and 222 b. While the damping system302 may take up any desired portion of the volume of the interiorchamber of the club head structure without departing from this invention(and may have any desired overall size(s) and/or shape(s)), in thisillustrated example, the damping elements 302 a and 302 b extend all orsubstantially all of the distance between the weight element 220 and therear surface of the ball striking plate member 202.

The damping elements 302 a and 302 b may be made from a variety ofmaterials without departing from this invention. For example, ifdesired, the damping elements 302 a and 302 b may be made fromlightweight polyurethane foam or other similar material. The dampingelements 302 a and 302 b optionally may be compressed between the weightelement 220 (or other portion of the club head body) and the face member200 when the connection system 222 a and 222 b is engaged with thesupport structures 212 a and 212 b. As another example, if desired, thedamping element may be injected into the interior chamber of the clubhead body after the club head is assembled (e.g., as a polymer foam orother material), e.g., through the club head's hosel opening or otheropening. Other suitable materials for the damping system 302 include,but are not limited to, textiles, rubbers, ethylvinylacetates, fluidfilled bladders (such as air bladders, etc.), and the like.

The club head face member, the body portions of the club head (e.g., thecrown portion, the sole portion, intermediate body members (such asU-shaped bands or ribbons of material extending from the toe to the heelof the club and at least partially defining the sides and/or rearperimeter of the club head), etc.), the weighting system, and/or theconnection system may have a wide variety of different sizes, shapes,constructions, and/or properties without departing from this invention.Various examples of these alternatives are illustrated in FIGS. 4through 9. The reader should understand, however, that FIGS. 4 through 9merely provide various examples of alternative structures and/orarrangements of parts in club head structures according to examples ofthis invention. These figures should not be construed as limiting theinvention. Additionally, the reader should understand that the variousstructures and/or arrangements of parts shown in FIGS. 1A through 9 maybe used in various different combinations and subcombinations withoutdeparting from this invention.

Other arrangements of parts are possible without departing from thisinvention. For example, if desired, the damping member(s) 302 a and 302b may include threads or other structures that allow the weight member220 and/or the connection elements 222 a and 222 b to be directlysecured thereto without the need for the weight member 220 and/or theconnection elements 222 a and 222 b to directly engage the face member200. As another example, if desired, structures may be provided to allowthe weight member 220 and/or the damping member(s) 302 to be engagedwith a portion of the club head body other than (or in addition to) theface member 200, such as to the crown portion, the sole portion, the aftbody portion, etc. Other constructions and/or arrangements of parts arepossible without departing from this invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a club head arrangement 400 similar to that shown inFIG. 3, except the damping system 402 differs from the damping system302 of FIG. 3. More specifically, the damping system 402 of FIG. 4 ismade up of a single damping element 402 a into which the supportstructures 212 a and 212 b and/or the connection elements 222 a and 222b extend. While the remainder of this illustrated club head arrangement400 of FIG. 4 is the same as that shown for FIG. 3 (and may include anyof the various options for the structure 300 described above withrespect to FIG. 3), the reader should understand that the damping systemarrangement of FIG. 4 may be applied to a wide variety of other clubhead constructions without departing from this invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates another example club head structure 500 according tothis invention. The example club head structure 500 illustrated in FIG.5 is similar to that shown in FIG. 3, except, in this instance, theweight system 520 differs from that shown in FIG. 3. While weight system520 still constitutes a single weight element 522 that extends aroundmuch of the toe, rear, and heel periphery of the club head structure andstill includes a ledge 520 a for engaging a separate crown member, thisillustrated weight system 520 includes a sole member 524. The solemember 524 may be formed to attach to the return portion 206 of the facemember 200 in this illustrated example. If desired, the sole member 524also may extend upward to form at least some portions of the heel and/ortoe sides or areas of the overall club head structure 500.

The sole member 524 may be included as part of the weight system 520 inany desired manner without departing from this invention. For example,the sole member 524 may be integrally formed as part of the weightelement 522 as a unitary, one piece construction (e.g., during molding,casting, forging, or other production process for the weight system520). As another example, if desired, the sole member 524 may beseparately formed from the weight element 522 and then attached theretoat an appropriate time in the weight system and/or club constructionprocess. The sole member 524 and weight element 522 may be engaged withone another in any desired manner without departing from this invention,including by mechanical fasteners or connectors, adhesives, cements,welding, soldering, brazing, other fusing techniques, or the like,including in conventional manners as are known and used in the art.Also, the sole member 524 may be made from the same or differentmaterials from that of the weight element 522 without departing fromthis invention.

Another example club head structure 600 in accordance with thisinvention is illustrated in FIG. 6. The example structure 600 shown inFIG. 6 is similar to those shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, except with respectto the sole member. The sole member 602 of the structure 600 illustratedin FIG. 6 is formed as part of the face member 200. The sole member 602may be formed to attach to the weighting system 220 in this illustratedexample. If desired, the sole member 602 also may extend upward to format least some portions of the heel and/or toe sides or areas of theoverall club head structure 600.

The sole member 602 may be included as part of the face member 200 inany desired manner without departing from this invention. For example,the sole member 602 may be integrally formed as part of the face member200 as a unitary, one piece construction (e.g., during molding, casting,forging, or other production process for the face member 200, such as anextension of the side and/or sole based return portion 206). As anotherexample, if desired, the sole member 602 may be separately formed fromthe face member 200 and then attached thereto at an appropriate time inthe face member 200 and/or overall club construction process. The solemember 602 and face member 200 may be engaged with one another in anydesired manner without departing from this invention, including bymechanical fasteners or connectors, adhesives, cements, welding,soldering, brazing, other fusing techniques, or the like, including inconventional manners as are known and used in the art. Also, the solemember 602 may be made from the same or different materials from that ofthe face member 200 without departing from this invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates another example golf club head structure 700according to this invention. This example structure 700 is similar tothat shown in FIG. 6, except the connection system differs. Thisillustrated example includes several connection elements 702 that extendthrough the interior chamber of the club head and engage correspondingsupport structures 704 provided on a rear surface of the ball strikingface 202. Of course, any desired number of connection elements 702 andcorresponding support structures 704 may be provided without departingfrom this invention. Additionally, the connection elements 702 may bearranged to extend in any desired direction(s) without departing fromthis invention and may be arranged at any desired positions with respectto the weight member 220 without departing from this invention (e.g.,some connection elements 704 may engage the weight member 220 at ahigher position than others, with respect to the club head body memberoriented at its ball address position). If desired, the connectionelements 702 may be made from different masses, e.g., to allow the userto “fine tune” the club head's weight distribution (e.g., to make theclub head slightly heavier in the heel, toe, upper, and/or lowerregions, to make the club head slightly heavier in the forward orrearward directions, etc.).

Also, in this illustrated example structure 700, the damping member 710includes multiple independent damping elements 712 a and 712 b, each ofwhich accommodates multiple connection elements 702 and multiple supportelements 704. Of course, many variations in the damping member structure710 and its relationship with the club head body, the connection system,and/or the weighting system are possible without departing from thisinvention, including, for example, one or more of the variationsdescribed above in conjunction with FIGS. 3 and 4.

Another example club head structure 800 is illustrated in FIG. 8. Theclub head structure 800 of FIG. 8 is similar to that of FIG. 7, exceptthe weight system 820 differs. In this example structure 800, the weightsystem 820 comprises multiple independent weight elements 822 a and 822b. The independent weight elements 822 a and 822 b extend around atleast a portion of the rear peripheral surface (exterior surface in thisexample structure 800) of the club head structure 800. If desired, theweight elements 822 a and 822 b may contact one another at the centerback location, or they may be separated from one another by a spaceand/or by a structural element of the club head body. Likewise, theopposite (front) ends of weight elements 822 a and 822 b may contactand/or connect to the face member 200, or they may remain separatedtherefrom by a space and/or by a structural element of the club headbody. The weight elements 822 a and 822 b may include a ledge element824 a and 824 b, respectively, for engaging a crown portion, a soleportion, or other portion of the club head body member.

The weight elements 822 a and 822 b may be the same, mirror images, ordifferent from one another without departing from this invention. Insome example structures, the heel weight element 822 b may be differentfrom the toe weight element 822 a, e.g., in size, weight, structure,etc., to allow the club head to be biased for specific ball flightconditions, as described above.

FIG. 9 illustrates a club head structure 900 similar to that of FIG. 8,but in this structure the damping system 910 constitutes a singledamping element 912, as opposed to the multipart damping system 710shown in FIG. 8. This single damping element 912 may be compressedwithin an interior chamber defined by the club head body, between therear surface of the ball striking face 202 and the rear portion of theclub head body and/or the weight elements 822 a and 822 b. This singledamping element 912 also engages all of the connection system elements702 and the corresponding support elements 704. Of course, any desiredarrangement of connection system elements and support elements may beprovided without departing from this invention. Also, if desired, thedamping system may be injected into the interior of the club head body(e.g., through the hosel opening 208 or another opening) after the clubhead body is assembled.

If desired, one or more weight elements making up a portion of theweighting system in various example structure according to thisinvention may be mounted in weight ports provided in or on an exteriorsurface of the golf club head body member, optionally in a removablemanner (e.g., using threaded connection elements that engage threadedsupport elements provided at or near the rear face of the ball strikingface). In this manner, users, club fitters, or the like can freelyselect the weights (optionally of different masses) to place at desiredlocations on the club head to better fit the club head's weightingcharacteristics to the user's swing and/or desired ball flightcharacteristics). Other weighting techniques (e.g., permanently mountedweight elements, movable weight elements, and/or removable weightelements) may be used, individually or in combination, without departingfrom this invention, including conventional weighting techniques andstructures as are known and used in the art. If desired, the connectionelements (e.g., 222 a, 222 b, and 702) may serve as at least a portionof the weighting system.

Features of this invention may be used for producing a wide variety ofwood-type golf club head structures. While wood type hybrid clubstructures generally have been described above in detail and illustratedin the attached drawings, other types of club head structures that maybe produced in accordance with at least some examples of this inventioninclude: drivers, fairway woods (e.g., 2 through 13 woods), putters,chipping type clubs, and the like.

The driver or other club heads may have any size and/or dimensionalcharacteristics without departing from this invention, includingconventional size and/or dimensional characteristics for wood-type andother golf clubs and golf club heads as are known and used in the art.When used to make driver or other wood type golf club structures, golfclub heads in accordance with at least some examples of this inventionmay have an overall club head breadth B dimension (maximum front face torear dimension) of at least 4.2 inches, at least 4.4 inches, at least4.5 inches, at least 4.6 inches, or even or at least 4.8 inches. Clubhead body structures in accordance with this invention further may havean overall club head length dimension L (maximum heel to toe dimension)of at least 4.5 inches, at least 4.7 inches, or even at least 4.8inches. The club head shape and/or structure may be controlled such thatthe overall club head body size is 500 cm³ or less, 470 cm³ or less, oreven 460 cm³ or less. In at least some examples, the overall club headbody size or volume will be at least 350 cc, at least 400 cc, at least420 cc, or even at least 450 cc. Loft angles for drivers may range, forexample, from 6.5° to 16.0°. Such clubs may have a conventional“pear-like” overall shape, a more modern “square” or “rectangular”shape, or any other desired shape.

When used in producing hybrid type golf clubs, the clubs also may haveany desired sizes and/or dimensional characteristics, includingconventional size and/or dimensional characteristics as are known andused in the art. Typical loft angles for hybrid type clubs in accordancewith at least some examples of this invention will range from 15° to30°; typical lie angles will range from 55° to 65°; and typical overallclub lengths will range from 36 to 42 inches, although other dimensionsare possible without departing from this invention. Such clubs may havea conventional “pear-like” overall shape, a more modern “square” or“rectangular” shape, or any other desired shape.

Many modifications to the overall club head structures and/or theoverall golf club structures may be made without departing from thisinvention. For example, many modifications may be made to the part orparts making up the club head structure, to the materials used in makingthe club head structure, to the manner in which the club head structureis joined together, etc. Also, many modifications may be made to thethickness, weight, shape, size, and/or other physical characteristics ofthe part or parts making up the overall golf club structure, etc.

Conclusion

While the invention has been described in detail in terms of specificexamples including presently preferred modes of carrying out theinvention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there arenumerous variations and permutations of the above described systems andmethods. Thus, the spirit and scope of the invention should be construedbroadly as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:
 1. A golf club head, comprising: a club head body memberincluding a ball striking face portion, a crown portion, and a soleportion; a weight system engaged with the club head body member andprovided at and extending along a perimeter portion of the club headbody member at a location rearward of the ball striking face portion,wherein the weight system is sized, shaped, and/or weighted toselectively provide weight at various locations in the club head bodymember; a damping member at least partially located between the ballstriking face portion and the weight system; and a connection systemextending from or through the weight system in a direction toward theclub head body member, the connection system engaging the weight systemwith the club head body member.
 2. A golf club head according to claim1, wherein the damping member extends between the ball striking faceportion and the weight system.
 3. A golf club head according to claim 1,wherein the damping member is made of a polyurethane material.
 4. A golfclub head according to claim 1, wherein the connection system extends atleast partially through the damping member.
 6. A golf club headaccording to claim 1, wherein the damping member is engaged with theconnection system.
 7. A golf club head according to claim 1, wherein thedamping member attenuates at least some vibration resulting from contactbetween a golf ball and the ball striking face portion.
 8. A golf clubhead according to claim 1, wherein the connection system includes afirst connection element engaging the weight system with the ballstriking face portion and a second connection element and engaging theweight system with the ball striking face portion.
 9. A golf club headaccording to claim 1, wherein the weight system includes a first weightelement and a second weight element separate from the first weightelement.
 10. A golf club head, comprising: a club head body member, theclub head body member including a ball striking face portion, a crownportion, and a sole portion; a weight system engaged with the club headbody member and provided at and extending along a perimeter portion ofthe club head body member at a location rearward of the ball strikingface portion, wherein the weight system forms an exterior-most surfaceof the club head body member, wherein the weight system is sized,shaped, and/or weighted to selectively provide weight at variouslocations in the club head body member; a damping member at leastpartially located between the ball striking face portion and the weightsystem; and a connection system extending through the weight system in adirection toward the ball striking face portion of the club head bodymember, wherein the connection system includes a first connectionelement engaging the weight system with the ball striking face portionand a second connection element engaging the weight system with the ballstriking face portion.
 11. A golf club head according to claim 10,wherein the damping member extends between the ball striking faceportion and the weight system.
 12. A golf club head according to claim10, wherein the damping member is made of a polyurethane material.
 13. Agolf club head according to claim 10, wherein the connection systemextends at least partially through the damping member.
 14. A golf clubhead according to claim 10, wherein the damping member is engaged withthe connection system.
 15. A golf club head according to claim 10,wherein the damping member attenuates at least some vibration resultingfrom contact between a golf ball and the ball striking face portion. 16.A golf club head according to claim 10, wherein the weight systemincludes a first weight element and a second weight element separatefrom the first weight element.
 17. A golf club head according to claim16, wherein the connection system includes a first connection elementengaging the first weight element with the ball striking face portionand a second connection element engaging the second weight element withthe ball striking face portion.
 18. A golf club head, comprising: a facemember including a ball striking face, wherein an interior portion ofthe face member includes at least a portion of a fastener system; a bodymember engaged with the face member, wherein the body member includes atleast a crown portion; a weight system provided and extending along atleast some part of a rear perimeter portion of the golf club head,wherein the weight system forms an exterior most surface on the golfclub head, wherein the weight system is sized, shaped, and/or weightedto selectively provide weight at various locations in the golf clubhead; and a connection system extending from or through the weightsystem to the face member, the connection system engaging the fastenersystem, wherein the golf club head further includes a damping elementprovided at least partially between the face member and the weightsystem.
 19. A golf club head according to claim 18, wherein the dampingelement engages at least one of the connection system or the fastenersystem.
 20. A golf club head according to claim 18, wherein the dampingmember extends between the face member and the weight system.
 21. A golfclub head, comprising: a face member including a ball striking face,wherein an interior portion of the face member includes at least aportion of a fastener system; a body member engaged with the facemember, wherein the body member includes at least a crown portion, andfurther wherein the face member and the body member define an interiorchamber that is at least partially hollow after the club head isassembled; a weight system provided and extending along at least somepart of a rear perimeter portion of the golf club head, wherein theweight system forms an exterior most surface on the golf club head,wherein the weight system is sized, shaped, and/or weighted toselectively provide weight at various locations in the golf club head; adamping element provided between the face member and the weight system;and a connection system extending through the weight system to the facemember, the connection system engaging the fastener system.
 22. A golfclub head according to claim 21, wherein the fastener system includes afirst fastener element and a second fastener element, and wherein theconnection system includes a first connection element engaging the firstfastener element and a second connection element engaging the secondfastener element.
 23. A golf club head according to claim 22, whereinthe damping element engages at least one of the connection system or thefastener system.
 24. A golf club head according to claim 22, wherein thedamping member extends between the face member and the weight system.